The Eastern Conference is undergoing a shift in the power balance. The Cleveland Cavaliers lost LeBron James this offseason, so the team's stranglehold on the East is over. Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are looking to assert themselves as the team to beat in the conference.
The young swingman knows the conference is wide open now that James is with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics were on the cusp of dethroning James last year, but now they won't need to worry about LeBron. Tatum told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe:
“Last year, we were playing the Cavs, playing LeBron. This year, we’re not playing LeBron. So I’m not as nervous.”
He shouldn't be. The Celtics nearly took down the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. They are entering this season at full strength and should be one of the best teams in the East.
The Toronto Raptors could challenge Boston's supremacy. Kawhi Leonard could be the best player in the conference if he's on his game, and he has a supporting cast that is about as deep as any team in basketball. Their bench can go toe-to-toe with Boston's.
The Sixers fancy themselves a contender in the East, but they have much to prove after getting handled by the Celtics in the playoffs last May. The Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers could make noise this season as well.
The Eastern Conference is wide open this year without LeBron James, and everyone in the East knows it.
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